Eye of the Beholder
by BookwormWRITINGwhiz
Summary: Betty Cooper has always been what other people want her to be, and has always waited and wished for someone to see her. Jughead Jones knows what people see him as- Serpent and Bad News and has given up on anyone seeing him drowning. Bughead AU where two cursed individuals find themselves whole for the first time.


this is my first time writing for this fandom and I hope you guys like it. Also I may revisit this with an epilogue if it gets a positive response.

A little backdrop on this story- RIVERDALE AU so Jughead is a serpent and has always studied at Southside High so he never met Betty. FP still goes to jail and his mom and Jellybean still move away. Betty kinda has a curse. She takes the appearance of what the beholder thinks is beauty.

* * *

Betty Cooper was used to being what people wanted her to be. She fulfilled their expectations that sat heavy on her shoulders every day, she was who they wanted even if that wasn't what she wanted and she looked the way they wanted. Quite literally.

Elizabeth Cooper, born to Alice and Hal Cooper had perfect light brown hair and green eyes and soft hands. Betty Cooper, sister to Polly Cooper, was petite had freckles, blue eyes and hair that was her shade of sunshine. Betty, best friend to Archie Andrews, was short and curvy with dark hair and eyes. Cousin Betty, related to Cheryl Blossom, was tan and athletic with hair dyed the color of strawberries and eyes like a kaleidoscope. B, best friend of Veronica Lodge, was dark blonde and tall and like a super model.

Betty Cooper was a cursed individual in her opinion. A one in a million shape shifter that took the shape of what the beholder thought was beauty. They never saw her like she saw herself in the mirror.

She felt like a constructed image. Be who people want you to be. Get perfect marks to get in a good school. Maintain the image, Betty.

At 17, Betty Cooper had many people tell her she was beautiful. Every time they did she'd say, "Thanks. Can I know what you see?"

And every time she was disappointed.

"Your eyes are so pretty! Black like the night sky. And that skin-"

"I love your hair. Tell me, is that shade of red natural?"

"Damn Cooper. Look at that-"

"I need to know. Where do you get your tan? I mean, girl, -"

"Perfect marks, Ms Cooper. I expect-"

She's shake her head, smile and brush it off because deep inside, Betty Cooper didn't feel beautiful. To her, all those people complimenting her were white noise. They didn't see her. She wasn't their idea of beauty. And every time someone complimented what they thought she looked like, the real Betty died a little inside.

* * *

Jughead Jones was looking for a fresh start. He couldn't do it anymore. The way people looked at him began tearing him apart, piece by piece. Even when they were gone he could still hear their whispers.

"-long before he'll murder us?"

"Just like his father that one. Stay away-"

"-Jones. Even his own mother didn't want him."

"Just trash from the wrong side of the tracks. Doesn't deserve-"

"-Serpent King? Kid's a joke. Useless piece of-"

It was driving him insane. The weight of the leather jacket on his shoulders beginning suffocate him. Even the beanie he wore couldn't stop dark thoughts from constantly invading his mind.

So, at the end of the school day at Southside High on the 'wrong' side of Riverdale, Jughead Jones jumped on his motorcycle, ignored the rain and and tried to race away from it all.

* * *

When the day ended at Riverdale High, Betty Cooper maintained her perfect smile as she wished her friends goodbye and assured them that yes, they would see her at the football game this weekend.

As she walked down the wet street to her house a motorcycle whizzed past her, ruffling her ponytail and spraying dirty water on her immaculate pastel clothes. She frowned ever so slightly at the back of the motorist speeding away.

Her frown disappeared and eyes widened in horror as she saw his bike skid across the road suddenly. Ignoring her previous annoyed feelings and hoisting her bag firmly on her shoulders, she ran to the accident site.

* * *

Jughead groaned as he felt his head throb from the impact it made on the road. Thanks to his helmet he wouldn't have a concussion but he reckoned he'd be dealing with a pretty nasty bruise. One of his legs was trapped under his motor cycle and despite his bloody hands, he was desperately trying to free it.

Suddenly, he felt the weight being lifted off him and hear the click of the stand falling in place. The next thing he knew, soft hands were clutching his jacket and making their way down his body, looking for injuries.

He opened his eyes to look at the most beautiful face he had every seen. In that one moment he saw all her beauty and all her darkness and knew.

Her hair was sunlight entering the library early in the morning. Her eyes were green like the freshly cut grass in the park his mother used to take him and Jellybean to play in when they were younger but held untold sadness. Her skin was like porcelain and her delicate features were drawn in a concerned frown that drew his attention to her pink lips that looked like sin incarnate.

He saw the slight bags under her eyes from late nights studying and the barely noticeable puffiness that came from crying at night. There were faint worry lines on her forehead and she looked like she carried the weight of worlds on her shoulders.

She was an enigma. And he knew, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Hey mister." He heard her say. Her voice was worried and Jughead couldn't help but think that it was the most beautiful sound he had every heard.

"I need you to cooperate with me. If you understand, nod. Please."

Jughead nodded and licked his lips. His throat suddenly dry.

"I hear you."

* * *

Betty was having a very hard time keeping herself in check. She kept on reminding herself that this man had just been in an accident and may need medical assistance and she needed to be ready to administer first aid.

She had ruled out the possibility of anything serious. It just seemed to be bumps and bruises. Nothing a few days wouldn't fix.

She looked at him again, her hands were still on his body and she couldn't find it in herself to tear them away.

He was gorgeous, Beautiful.

She didn't see the serpent on his back.

She saw his midnight black hair as she freed his head from his helmet and placed one hand on his cheek. His eyes as he gazed up at her were deep and blue like the ocean, an endless turmoil of crashing waves. He had light purple bruises from not sleeping under his eyes and his mouth, now slack, looked like it spent a lot of time scowling. This did nothing to detract from the fact that he had exquisite lips that she-

Betty quickly averted his eyes from his lips and felt her neck heating up. She knew she was blushing and took several deep breaths to stop herself from turning completely red. Once she was sure her voice wouldn't come out breathy she patted his cheek and said, "Um, hello?"

He didn't respond. He just kept staring at her and she felt concerned. What if she was wrong? What if there was some serious damage and because she was a hormone induced idiot she had failed to diagnose it?

Betty could hear the underlying panic in her voice and wondered if he could too as she repeated, "Hey mister. I need you to cooperate with me. If you understand, nod. Please."

To her great relief he nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "I hear you."

Betty smiled and replied with, "Great. Let's get you sitting up, alright?"

He nodded again, a small smile gracing his lips too.

* * *

An hour later they were both seated in Pop's with a milkshake of their choice in front of them. Jughead has insisted that there was no need to call an ambulance or drop him to the hospital.

Once the blonde woman had checked him over "for her peace of mind" as she put it and Jughead had regained his ability to speak in front of her, he asked her to Pop's, his treat, for as he put it "saving my life."

As Jughead looked at the hilarious and witty and beautiful young woman across him, he couldn't help but blurt out, "You're beautiful."

He wished he hadn't as he saw her instantly stiffen and her previously open posture become defensive. He barely heard her as she whispered, "Thank you. If you don't mind me asking, what do you see?"

Her eyes were glued to her milkshake that she grasped in her clenching hands, as though she was trying not to form a fist.

Jughead took a deep breath and decided to be brave.

* * *

Betty was internally cursing herself. She liked him. So suddenly and spontaneously like it was said to be in romance books. But he wouldn't like her. Not plain ol' Betty Cooper. He'd see someone else, just like they all did.

"I see the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life." Betty heard the man across her say. She looked up through her lashes, desperately hopeful.

"I see a girl with blonde hair and green eyes and full of stories that I want to read and remember, page for page. I see the small crescent shaped scars on your palms and the lines on your face but I think they make you more beautiful. I see someone with an amazing personality and-"

But Betty wasn't listening anymore. Her face broke into a wide smile and she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. She saw as the young man's face filled with panic as he saw her cry and then surprise as Betty reached across the booth and grasped his face in her hands.

"You see me." she whispered, looking into his eyes before pulling him closer and kissing him.

* * *

Jughead couldn't think straight with the lips of the-most-beautiful-girl-he'd-ever-seen-but-didn't-know-the-name-of on his. All he felt was a warm, comforting fire as if he'd just come home.

The kiss ended shortly and just as abruptly as it began as she pulled away, got up and slid into the space next to him.

"I'm Betty Cooper." She announced, a grin splitting her face.

"I'm a Serpent. I'm FP Jones' son." he said. He decided to get the big thing out of the way first. There was a huge chance she wouldn't want to be seen with him after this, much less kiss him.

Betty Cooper frowned. "That's not who you are. Yes, it's a part of you. But I want to know all of you."

Jughead's eyes were wide with disbelief and his heart was thundering in his chest.

"I'm Jughead Jones."

She smiled. He smiled back.

"Jughead, I see you." she said softly.

"Betty", he replied, closing the distance between them, "I see you."

THE END.


End file.
